Printing press



L. Q. PREsBY -V PRINTING PnEss Filed 'Juxie '93 A1958 7 'Sheets-Sheet 112; 1939. A L.' Q. messy kPMH'JLING PRESS "Filed June 9, 1938 7'sheets-sheet 2 `Dec.v l2, 1939. L. Q. P'REsBY PRINTING PRESS Filed June9, 1938 7v Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. l2, 1939.

Filed June 9, 19:58 fr s hets-sheet 4 og @Panes vaey, www ,v WW

Dec. l2, 1939. L. Q. PREsBY 2,183,045

' PRINTING PnEss Filed June 9, 1938 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 PatentedDec. 12,1939 o Panes Leroy Q. Presby, Melrose, Mass., assigner to merican StayCompany, East Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationJune 3, 1938, @crisi No. 212,332v

3 laims.

My invention relates to printing presses, and is more particularlyconcerned with means for driving and adjusting the several printingcoupls of a press having a plurality of such couples.

The invention will be best understood from the following descriptionwhen read in. the light of the accompanying drawings of an embodiment ofthe invention selected for illustrative purposes, the scope of theinvention being more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a printing press according to the inventionwith parts omitted; FiFigl. 2 is a plan of the press according to Fig. 3is an elevation, on an enlarged scale with parts broken away, of thepress according to Figs. 1 and 2 as viewed from the right;

Fig. 4 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale, of pifralgment of thepress unit marked No. 3 of Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4with parts omitted;

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively sections on-the lines @Ii-'6 and 1-1 ofFig. 5 with parts omitted;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sections of the press unit marked No. 2 of Fig. 1corresponding to the sections shown by Figs. 6 and '1 respectively ofthe press unit marked No. 3; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are sections of the press unit marked No. 1 of Fig. 1corresponding to thesections shown by Figs. 6 and 7 respectively of thepress unit marked No. 3. i

Referring to the drawings, the press illustrated comprises threeprinting couples each having a printing cylinder I and cooperatingimpression cylinder 3, the frame of the Vpress comprising side standards5 which rotatably support these cylinders. The web W, as shown by Fig.1, is guided through these printing couples in series, driers' indicatedschematically at 1 being provided, if

desired, for drying the ink applied by onev printing couple before theweb passes through the next successive couple. As illustrated, the webafter it leaves the last couple to the right is guided in an upwarddirection so as to present a length U of the web, the printed side ofwhich faces an operator standing at that end of the machine and facingthe web. For convenience of description the couples and their associatedparts are marked No. 1, No. 2 Vand No. 3 from right to left as viewed inFig. 1.

In the vmachine illustrated each printing cylinder is so supported anddriven that it may be adjusted both lengthwise and angularly. Each (ci.ion-isn,

cylinder is driven and adjusted in the same way by substantially thesame mechanism, and therefore a description of one will suice for all.'lReferring particularly to Figs. 3' to 7. the printing cylinder i isfixedly carried by a shaft 9 which 5 at opposite ends is rotatablysupported in bearings I i carried by the adjacent side standards 5, theshaft being slidable lengthwise in thesebearings. For rotating theseveral shafts 3 is provided a common drive shaft I3 rotatably sup- 10ported in brackets I5, a pair of which is carried at theouter side ofeach standard 5 at one side ofthe press. Splined to this drive shaftbetween each pair of brackets I5 is a worm i1. Meshi'ng with the worm isa worm wheel I9, the 15 hub 2| of which is rotatably mounted on aspindle 23 carried by a bracket 25 mounted between the brackets I5 onthe outer side of the side standard 5. Fixed to the hub 2| of the wormwheel is a spur gear 21, and meshing with that spur gear is a spur gear29 fixed to the drive shaft of the printing cylinder. By thisconstruction in an obvious manner rotation of the drive shaft I3 iseffective to rotate the printing cylinders.

Each worm I1 ls received in a trough-shaped member 3l having end wallsformed with perforated bosses 33 slidably mounted on the `drive shaftI3`(see particularly Figs. 5 and 10). As shown, the Worm which issplined to the drive shaft by means of a key 35 carried by the worm 30and a keyway 31 formed in the shaft abuts at one end with a ball thrustbearing 39 which bears against ,the adjacent boss 33 of the associatedtrough-shaped member. At its rear the ltrough-shaped'member at one endthereof in- 3 tegrally carries a perforated boss 4I through Which'isscrew-threaded a shaft 43. The thrust of the worm wheel I9 against theworm I1 holds the latter against the thrust bearing 39, and rotation ofthe shaft 43 is effective to slide the 40 trough-shaped member 3I alongthe drive shaft I3 in either of opposite directions to move the `wormVwith it. This movement of the worm is effective to rotate theassociated printing cylinder shaft 3 in its bearings II.

At the right hand end of the machine arethree hand wheels 45, 41 and 49for rotating the shafts. 43 associated with the three units o'f thepress. As illustrated in Fig. 6, the hand wheel 45 is directlyandflxedly connected tothe shaft 50 43 for unit No. 3. The hand wheel 41is fixedly carried by a shaft 5I supported by the brackets I5 of thepress units Nos.4 2 and 3, as clearly indicated by Figs. 6 and 8. Nearits outer end adjacent unit No. 2 the shaft 5I carries a sprocket 55wheel 53, and the adjacent shaft 43 a sprocket wheel 55, about whichwheels passes a sprocket chain 51. By this construction, by rotating thehand wheel 41 the shaft 43 for unit No. 2 will be rotated to adjust theprinting cylinder of that unit angularly. The hand wheel 49 in a similarmanner is xedly carried by a shaft 59 which is rotatably supported inthe several brackets I5 and extends to unit No. 1 where it carries asprocket wheel 6I, the associated shaft i3 carrying a sprocket wheel 63,While around these sprocket wheels passes a chain 55, so that rotationof the shaft 59 is effective to adjust the associated printing cylinderof unit No. 1 angularly. Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 7,a projection 61 of each printing cylinder shaft 9 has fixed thereto asleeve 69 integrally formed with a pair of spaced collars 1I to providetherebetween an annular groove 13. Received in this groove are rollers15 (Fig. 4) carried alt the inner sides of bifurcations 11 at the upperend of a lever arm 19. The lever arm, as illustrated is pivotallysupported on a shaft BI, the shaft extending between the adjacent pairof brackets i5 and at opposite ends being xedly supported thereby (seeparticularly Figs. 3 and 4). At its lower end the lever is bifurcated,as indicated at 33 (Fig. 4), and between the bifurcations is placed anut 85 which is plvotally supported by pins 01 carried by thebifurcations. Screw-threaded into the nut is a rod 89 (see Fig. 7), therod at its opposite end being rotatably received in a bearing 9| andhaving fixed thereto at opposite sides respectively of the bearing thehub 93 of a bevel gear 95 and a collar 91. As shown, the bevel gear 95meshes with a bevel gear 99 fixed to the rotatable shaft I0 I, whichshaft is rotatably supbearing brackets ment of the rod 99 is preventedthe lever 19 thus `will be caused to` swing on the shaft 9| and move theprinting cylinder shaft longitudinally in one or the other directiondepending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft IOI.

As shown, below the hand wheels 45, 41 and 49 are hand wheels |01, |09and III, respectively. As illustrated by Fig. 'l the hand wheel |01 isdirectly and flxedly connected to the shaft IOI for the unit No. 3. Thehand wheel |09 is iixedly connected to a shaft Ii! which is rotatablysupported in the bearing brackets I5 associated with units Nos. 2 and 3,and terminates at the first mentioned unit as illustrated in Fig. 9.Adja- Cent the unit No. 2 the shaft I3 has fixed thereto a sprocketwheel II5 about which passes a chain II1, the latter also passing abouta sprocket wheel ||9 fixedly carried by the shaft |0| for that unit.Similarly the hand wheel Ii i is fixedly carried by a shaft I2Irotatably supported'in the bearing brackets I5 for the three units. Thisshaft extends through and terminates at' unit No. 1 (Fig. 11), and bymeans of the sprocket wheels |23 and |25 and chain |21 is effective forrotating the shaft IOI for that unit. in an obvious manner by use of thehand wheels |91, |09 and III the printing cylinders for the units Nos.1, 2 and 3 may be independently longitudinally adjusted. a 1,

'me drive shaft la for the several couples may l be driven in anyconvenient manner as, for example, by the electric motor |29 whichthrough a change speed gear, the casing of which 'is indicated at |3I,drives a pulley |33, the latter being connected by a belt |35 to apulley |31 on the shaft I9. Longitudinal movement of the drive shaft maybe prevented in any convenient manner as, forexample, by means of thecollars I 39 (Fig. 6) which cooperate with the adjacent brackets i5.

The electric motor and the change speed gear above describedconveniently may be controlled by a switch and gear shifting mechanismreadily accessible to the operator standing at the right hand side ofthe press as viewed in Fig. 1, in which position the printed side of thelength U of' the web is visible. By operation of the several hand wheelsat that station he may adjust the several printing cylinders lengthwiseand angularly so as to secure proper registry of the matter printed bythe several couples while the press is rotating at a moderate speed orby viewing the web with a stroboscope or the like while it is moving ata higher speed.

It will be understood that-within .the scope of the appended claims widedeviations may be made from the form of the invention described withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

-1. A printing press having, in combination, a printing couplecomprising a printing cylinder, means comprising a longitudinallyslidable shaft coaxial with the cylinderv for adjusting said cylinderlengthwise, a lever for sliding said shaft, means for swinging saidlever about an axis transverse to said shaft comprising a screwthreadedrod member and cooperating nut member, means pivotally connecting one ofsaid members to said lever, a part carried for swinging about an axisparallel to thev axis of swinging of said lever, the other of saidmembers being supported by said 'part for rotation about an axistransverse to the axis of swinging of the lever, and means for rotatingthe last mentioned member.

2. A printing press having, in combination, a printing couple comprisinga printing cylinder, means comprising a longitudinally slidable shaftcoaxial with the cylinder for adjusting said cylinder lengthwise, alever for sliding said shaft,

means for swinging said lever about an axis4 transverse to said shaftcomprising a screwthreaded rod member and cooperating nut member, meanspivotally connecting one of said members to said lever, a part carriedfor swinging about an axis parallel to the axis of swinging of saidlever, the other of said members being supported by said part forrotation about an axis transverse to the axis of swinging of the lever,and means for rotating the last mentioned member comprising a gear fixedthereto and a meshing driving gear.

3. A printing press having, in combination, a printing couple comprisinga printing cylinder. means comprising a longitudinally slidable shaftcoaxial with the cylinder for adjusting said cylinder lengthwise, alever for sliding said shaft, means for swinging said lever about anaxis transverse to said shaft comprising a screw-threaded rod member andcooperating nut member, means pivotally connecting one of said membersto said lever, a part carried for swinging about an axis parallel to theaxis of swinging of said lever, the other of said members beingsupported by said bart for rotation about an axis transverse to the saidactuating members, which means extend` axis of swingingof the lever, andmeans for rotating the lastmentioned member comprising a rotatabledriving gear coaxial with the axis of swinging of said part.

4'. A printing press having, in combination, a printing couplecomprisinga printing cylinder,

` means comprising a longitudinally slidable shaft coaxial with thecylinder for adjusting said cylinder lengthwise, a lever for slidingsaid shaft,

means for swinging said lever about an axistranspivotally connecting oneof said members to said lever, a part carried for swinging about an axisparallelnto the axis of swinging of said lever, the other of saidmembers being supported by said part for rotation about an axistransverse to the axis of swinging of the lever, means for rotating thelast mentioned member comprising avrotatable bevel driving gear coaxialwith the axis of swinging of said part, and a bevel gear'meshingtherewith i'lxed to the last mentioned member.

' 5. A printing press having, in combination, a printing couplecomprising a printing cylinder, means comprising a longitudinallyslidable rotary shaft coaxial with the cylinder for movingv saidcylinder endwise, a lever mountedfor swinging transversely of saidshaft, a thrust connection between said shaft and lever, a nut carriedby said lever for relative swinging about an axis transverse to saidshaft, a rotary driven Vshaft transverse to the axis of said slidableshaft, an arm rotatably mounted on said driven shaft, a rodscrew-threaded through said nut, which rod is rotatably mounted on saidarm with its axial driving means independently of the printing cylindersof each of the other couples. said separate means each comprising arotary actuating mem- 50 ber, and a separate means for operating each offrom the several couples to a common station past which the web, beingoperated upon by said couples, is adapted to'pass after it has beenoperatedv upon by all of said couples; and separate means, comprising.vclosely adjacent manually operated members at said'station, foroperating said means which operate said actuating members.

7. A printing press having, in combination. a plurality of spacedindependent printing couples through which a web is adapted to passvsuccessively, eachvof which couples comprises aprinting cylinder, acommon driving means for all of said printing cylinders, separate meansat each oi' said couples for adjusting theiprinting cylinder thereofaxially and rotatively relative to said drivingmeans independently ofthe printing cylinders of each of the other couples, said separate meanseach comprising a rotary actuating member, and a separate rotary shaftfor operating each of said actuating members, which shafts extend fromthe several couples to a common station past which the web, beingoperated upon by said couples, is adapted to pass after it has meanscomprises a rotary ,actuating member,` a

plurality ofrotary horizontal parallel shafts-for independentlyoperating said actuating members, which-shafts are carried by said sideframes and severally extend in pairs from each of said couples to acommon station past which the web, being operated upon by said couples,is adapted to pass after it has been operated upon by all of saidcouples, and closely adjacent rotary members at said: station forindependently rotating saidy sham.

minor Q. passar.

